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Education/Schools - Historical Notes

Districts/Reapportionment

The acts listed below have affected the civil districts in Van Buren County, but are no longer operative regarding elections. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 135, redistricted a county with a population of not less than 4,050 no more than 4,100, according to the 1940 Federal Census, or subsequent. This Act would apply to both Moore and Van Buren Counties. Since it was introduced and sponsored by the Honorable Reagor Motlow or Moore County, the assumption is made that he did not intend to redistrict Van Buren County, which he did not represent.
  2. Private Acts of 1976, Chapter 201, created six magisterial districts in Van Buren County which were composed of whole civil districts and voting precincts as were described therein. Justices of the Peace would continue in office until their respective terms expired. This act expressly repealed Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 135, Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 401, and Private Acts of 1972, Chapter 223, but was rejected by the Van Buren County Quarterly Court and therefore remains inoperative.

     

Elections

The following is a listing of acts for Van Buren County which affected the elective process, but which have been superseded or repealed. They are listed here for historical and reference purposes. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Acts of 1842 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 1, divided Tennessee into 25 Senatorial Districts for the General Assembly. The Ninth District was made up of Fentress, Overton, Jackson, White, and Van Buren Counties. Fentress, White, and Van Buren Counties would elect one Representative to the Legislature between them.
  2. Acts of 1842 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 7, divided the State into eleven U.S. Congressional Districts. Fentress, Overton, Jackson, White, DeKalb, Van Buren, Warren, and Coffee Counties composed the Fourth District.
  3. Acts of 1865, Chapter 34, divided Tennessee into eight U.S. Congressional Districts, probably reflecting the decimation of the people during the Civil War. Van Buren County was in the Third District, along with Meigs, Rhea, Hamilton, Marion, Grundy, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Warren, White, Smith, Cumberland, Putnam, Jackson, Macon, Overton, DeKalb, and Fentress Counties.
  4. Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 5, set the place for comparing the polls for the election of the Floterial Representative from Van Buren, Grundy, and Coffee Counties at McMinnville in Warren County.
  5. Acts of 1871, Chapter 146, apportioned the State according to the 1870 Federal Census. The Seventh of twenty-five Senatorial Districts composed of Rhea, James, Hamilton, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Marion, Grundy, and Van Buren Counties would jointly elect one Representative to the General Assembly.
  6. Acts of 1872, Chapter 7, divided Tennessee into nine U. S. Congressional Districts. The following counties made up the Third District: Blount, Loudon, Roane, Monroe, McMinn, Meigs, Rhea, Polk, Bradley, James, Hamilton, Marion, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Grundy, Van Buren and Warren.
  7. Acts of 1873, Chapter 27, reapportioned the State into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. Seventeen counties, including Van Buren County, were in the Third District.
  8. Acts of 1881, (Ex. Sess.), (Public) Chapter 6, apportioned the state, according to the new 1880 census, into thirty-three Senatorial Districts and ninety-nine Representative Districts, as it now has. Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Cumberland, and Van Buren Counties would elect one Representative jointly, and Van Buren County was assigned to the 9th Senatorial District with Grundy, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea, Cumberland, Morgan, and White Counties.
  9. Acts of 1882, (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 27, did the same for the Congressional Districts, delineating the State into Ten Districts. Monroe, Polk, Bradley, Hamilton, James, McMinn, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Marion, Grundy, Van Buren, White and Warren were in the Third District.
  10. Acts of 1891, (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 10, divided the State according to the 1890 Federal Census. Van Buren was in the Seventh Representative District with Grundy, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, and Cumberland Counties, and in the Ninth Senatorial District with Rhea, Bledsoe, White, Cumberland, Sequatchie and Morgan Counties.
  11. Acts of 1901, Chapter 122, again apportioned the State in accordance with the 1900 Federal Census. Van Buren County was in the 11th Representative District with Cumberland, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, and Grundy Counties, and in the Ninth Senatorial District with Rhea, Meigs, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, White, and Cumberland Counties.